Students going on a field trip to Germany

Between the 8th and 10th of December, students from the University of Warsaw’s Faculty of Political Science and International Studies travelled to Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, for an international academic workshop. The workshop was organised as part of the “Analysing Perception of Polish Parliamentary Elections from a Comparative Perspective” course, overseen by Prof. Wojciech Gagatek (University of Warsaw) and Dr Anja Hennig (European University Viadrina), thus continuing the collaboration that began in October.

During the two-day workshops, participants collaborated with students from the European University Viadrina to present analyses of reactions to the results of parliamentary elections in Poland from various perspectives. Timm Beichelt, the Dean of the Faculty of Cultural and Social Science, kicked off the workshops on the first day and introduced the faculty’s work to students from Warsaw. Moreover, the participants had a chance to engage in a meaningful conversation with René Wilke, the Mayor of Frankfurt (Oder), discussing Polish-German relations, especially in relation to the twin city of Frankfurt-Słubice. Furthermore, a significant portion of the workshops provided ample time for participants to engage in mutual discussions, fostering the open exchange of opinions and reflections.

In between the panels and presentations, everyone went on a guided tour of Frankfurt (Oder) and visited Słubice, the neighbouring town across the Oder River. In the evenings, they came together over meals and participated in team-building activities.

The participants concluded the workshops by visiting Berlin on their last day, where they delved into the history of Germany’s division after World War II through visits to the East Side Gallery and other relevant sites. They also had the opportunity to further explore Berlin together before heading back to Warsaw.

The Foundation for German-Polish Cooperation provided co-financing for the visit.